# Why is US flag printed in reverse on US airplanes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-us-flag-printed-in-reverse-on-us-airplanes/387402 "2007-01-10T14:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-us-flag-printed-in-reverse-on-us-airplanes/387402/21 "2007-01-13T00:03:35Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] True in essence. But consider the variety of places you might see a flag. Some of them will be “displayed” – hung at full spread against a wall, for example. When you “display” a flag in that manner, flag etiquette calls for it to be hung in the “everybody knows how” manner – blue star-spangled union at upper left as you view it (the flag’s own upper right). When a flag is being carried unfurled, the union is to be at top on the attached-to-the-pole side, and hence people to the right of the drection in which a flag is moving will see it “in reverse” from the display criteria. I don’t think we’re disagreeing here, just having trouble clarifying what we’re saying to each other. I have no disagreement with your point; what I was discussing is how it’s supposed to be displayed when only one side is visible, as in when it’s hung against a wall. [/QUOTE] I wasn’t sure what you were getting at using my post as a lead in. I didn’t think they were opposing points, but I’m not as quick at grasping meanings anymore. I also agree that when a side is displayed it’s in the mannor listed, so I believe it’s a consensus. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-us-flag-printed-in-reverse-on-us-airplanes/387402/22 "2007-01-13T00:16:26Z")
The American flag gets displayed this way on this side of an aeroplane…but other countries don’t necessarily follow suit. For example compare [these](http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1160244/L/) [two](http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1133811/L/) images of one plane - each have the flag in the same pattern, not following the ‘as if it were flying’ principle. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-us-flag-printed-in-reverse-on-us-airplanes/387402/23 "2007-01-13T06:24:38Z")
The question commonly comes up in reference to the way the Army wears it on their BDUs. The answer was already stated, but just keep in mind that the star field always leads the flag, as if it were flying. That’s really all there is to it. ---
**Author:** ![Aholibah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Aholibah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aholibah)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-us-flag-printed-in-reverse-on-us-airplanes/387402/24 "2007-01-15T03:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] If you look closely at that image, there is a US flag on that airliner, hoist at the right, next to the registration number. 🙂 The colours on the flag are rather hard to see. [/QUOTE] :smack: Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-us-flag-printed-in-reverse-on-us-airplanes/387402.md?page=1)